Straphangers

Acrylic on 9x12 stiff linen sheet

Available through DPW gallery/auction

Straphanger is a nickname for a standing subway or bus passenger who grips a hanging strap (nowadays usually an overhead horizontal bar) for support. The name is thought to have originated in the late 19th century when elevated trains had leather straps for the passengers to hold on to.

So there you have it, straphangers are the folks riding the subway ... and standing. Yes, there are seats, but you have to be very quick to get one, as there are 10 more people going for that same seat. We use the expression from a popular song "you've got to move like Jagger" to get a seat! LOL

But what you'll find is that many of the passengers are reading - something - anything. Books, Nooks, Kindles, iPads - Newspapers, paperbacks, circulars & catalogs. Most commuters have something in front of their face. Be it bus or subway, train or ferry - we all read to pass the time while we wait to get to our destination. It also eases the anxiety one feels when the traffic just stops, and stays stopped, for longer than a few minutes. 

This is my submission to last weeks DPW challenge for "reading."